Injuries to the neck are some of the most serious injuries in contact sports. For example, hyperextension of the neck to the rear can cause permanent damage to the spinal cord and can result in paraplegia, quadriplegia, and/or other forms of paralysis. If the neck is bent excessively to one side, the nerves in the brachial plexus can be stretched to cause what is commonly known as a “pinched nerve.” In severe cases, excessive lateral cervical flexion can cause permanent and irreparable damage to the nerves of the brachial plexus. Furthermore, undue flexing of the neck at an angle to the rear and to one side can result in equally serious damage to the cervical spine, brachial plexus, and/or adjacent areas of the neck and upper back.
The most serious of injuries may occur during an axial loading, when the head is driven down toward the neck and shoulders producing an excessive pressure that the cervical spine cannot handle. This pressure causes a buckling of the spinal column and may lead to disc herniation, muscle and ligament damage, and potentially spinal cord injury.
While neck injuries have been recognized as a serious problem in contact sports, very little progress has been made in developing protective athletic equipment that protects the athlete's neck without restricting their normal movement.
A number of prior art devices have been designed to reduce injuries to the necks of players in contact sports. These devices include U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,917 to Sims, U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,872 to Mitchell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,015 to Howard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,685 to LaPorta, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,821,339 and 4,996,720 to Fair, U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,590 to Monica, U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,601 to Abeyta, U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,517 to Hartunian, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,170 to Aaron.
The devices exemplified by the above-mentioned references primarily attempt to reduce the flexion, extension, lateral bending, and rotation of the head. However, none of the devices disclosed in the above-mentioned references decrease axial compression of the neck without limiting the normal movement of the head of the user, nor do these references provide the degree of support provided by the embodiments of the present invention.
For example, Sims' device is elevated in the rear to contact the back portion of the helmet during the extension of the neck of the user, effectively restricting the backward movement of the head of the user. Sims' device is also tapered in the front and connected with a lace. Mitchell's device is to be worn on the top of shoulder pads. Mitchell's device is thick and four-sided with rounded edges. As appreciated by those skilled in the art, Mitchell's device prevents the normal movement of a player's neck and head. Aaron's device is attached to the helmet and shoulder pads by fasteners that inevitably restrict the normal movement of a player's head and neck. LaPorta's device has back and chest plates that are attached using a curved pad providing little or no support in minimizing damage to the spine. Howard discloses a neck cushion that is an integral part of the helmet. The back of the cushion is raised, inevitably restricting the movement of the user's head and neck.
Fair '339 and Fair '720 disclose a protective vest having a collar guard designed to engage with a player's neck or helmet with no spine protection. Hartunian discloses a foam neck brace surrounding a user's neck with 360 degrees of cushioning. The conical shape of the neck brace and the way it surrounds the neck of the user inevitably prevents the normal motion of the user. Monica discloses a helmet motion restrictor designed to engage with a football helmet of a user in order to prevent excessive lateral and posterior movements of the football helmet again restricting movement. Abeyta discloses a cervical spine protection device designed to minimize the axial compression of the head of the user, which unduly restricts the posterior and anterior movements of the neck of the user.
It is therefore an object of the cervical spine protection device of the embodiments of the present invention to reduce axial loading of the spine without limiting movement in flexion, extension, left or right lateral flexion or rotation of the skull.
It is a further object of the cervical spine protection device of the embodiments of the present invention to engage the lower most part of a helmet during axial compression so as to relieve the pressure on the spine.
It is a further object of the cervical spine protection device of the embodiments of the present invention to be worn with various types of regulation helmets and regulation shoulder pads, so as not to interfere with movement of the head of a user, or the normal workings of the helmet and/or the shoulder pads.
It is a further object of the cervical spine protection device of the embodiments of the present invention to provide a cervical spine protection device that is simple to use, lightweight, and economical to construct.